National Geographic partnered with Humaneyes Technologies to deploy the Vuze VR camera for the first-ever 3D 360 experience captured aboard the International Space Station
National Geographic recently launched an extension to its critically acclaimed series ONE STRANGE ROCK, with the first-ever virtual reality (VR) 3D experience captured aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Users can take an unprecedented virtual tour of the ISS by downloading ISSVR on all major VR headsets starting today or by viewing the 360-degree video on National Geographic’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
From executive producers Darren Aronofsky and Jane Root, ONE STRANGE ROCK tells the extraordinary story of Earth, told through the only people who have ever left it: astronauts. To bring the astronauts’ viewpoint even closer to those on Earth, National Geographic partnered with VR experts Humaneyes Technologies to deploy the Vuze VR camera, the first 3D-360-degree VR camera that captures professional-quality VR video and audio to make VR content creation accessible to everyone. The Vuze VR Camera was selected by National Geographic and NASA after rigorous vetting. At 244 miles above Earth, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli used the Vuze VR Camera to record everything he heard, saw and felt in the ISS’ working and living quarters along with the stunning sight from the observation deck.
ISSVR is narrated by ONE STRANGE ROCK former astronauts Chris Hadfield, Mae Jemison, Mike Massimino and Nicole Stott, and it exhibits Nespoli’s experience aboard, giving the user the freedom to look around, glide past high-tech experiments and witness astronauts at work and play as they simultaneously share how life in space has impacted their worldview.
“ONE STRANGE ROCK gives viewers an enlightened perspective of our magnificent planet, and ISSVR brings them even closer to understanding the larger, intricate forces that we are part of,” says Kyle Christensen, VP of Digital Strategy for National Geographic. “Our purpose in creating ISSVR is to draw people into what makes our experience on Earth exceptional and bring renewed excitement to science and human exploration.”
“We were thrilled when the Vuze VR Camera passed the test to go to space. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the genuinely immersive experiences the camera creates, allowing viewers to feel as if they were on the ISS themselves,” says Shahar Bin-Nun, CEO of Humaneyes Techonologies. “Plus, its lightweight, compact and durable size proved to be the perfect companion for astronauts to quickly document their day without burdening the crew with additional or complicated camera rigs.”
